At least 13 killed in northern Syria after U.S. counterterror operation, local first responders say

4 yıl önce

BEIRUT — U.S. Special Operations forces conducted a successful counterterrorism mission overnight in northwest Syria, the Pentagon said in a statement early Wednesday, without specifying their target.

Specifics on the raid, including its target and the number of casualties, could not immediately be confirmed. But the White Helmets, a civil defense group that works in non-government controlled areas of Syria, said that they have retrieved 13 dead bodies so far, including those of six children and four women. They also said they treated a nearby resident and a young girl whose entire family was killed.

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Residents in the northern Idlib province said they heard helicopters at around 1 a.m. local time, and later, the sound of heavy clashes. Unconfirmed reports circulated that American forces were hunting a leader of the Islamic State or another local jihadist group.

The White Helmets said its first responders initially could not access the area due to the heavy clashes and bombardment that preceded the U.S. operation. Helicopters left and the clashes ended shortly after 3 a.m, local time, they said in a statement.

Videos circulating on social media, which The Washington Post was not able to immediately verify, captured what appeared to be the raid and its aftermath. In one widely circulated video, the sound of heavy gunfire can be heard, as what appear to be muzzle flashes, possibly from a helicopter, are seen above the skyline. Another grainy video showed a house seemingly on fire, and a call over loudspeakers could be heard warning children to leave.

Fahim reported from Istanbul.

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